The present invention relates to a device for dosing into moulds a plastic, perishable mass, comprising: a feed vessel; a pressing chamber connected to the feed vessel via a channel; a piston movable in the pressing chamber; and a mould chamber connected to the pressing chamber and in which a mould for filling with the mass is placeable.
Such devices are generally known. They are often used for shaping hamburgers and other products to be prepared from a meat mass. The pressure generated by the piston during pressing can, for example in the case of masses made up of more than one component, lead to disintegration of the mass. This means that under pressure the first liquifying component leaves the mass under pressure of the piston so that separation occurs.
There is the further danger that under pressure from the piston the mass is pressed back into the feed vessel.
The present invention attempts to avoid these drawbacks by providing a valve arranged in the channel.
This prevents the meat mass flowing back to the feed vessel and separation occurring.
When a plate slidable in linear direction is employed as valve, which plate is movable in the channel such that this is entirely closed, the problem arises that when the valve is in the withdrawn position there are edges present between the valve and the wall of the channel, against which edges so-called dead spaces are formed in which meat mass can collect which is no longer further transported towards the pressing chamber. Despite the low temperature generally usual with such devices, intensified bacterial growth can develop over a period of time, so that the device has to be stopped and cleaned. This results in considerable time and production losses. It is therefore important to suppress bacterial growth as far as possible in this known device.
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention the valve can in the opened position be flush countersunk into a wall of the channel.
As a result of these steps dead spaces and edges no longer occur, so that the meat mass for dosing can no longer be left behind, and excessive bacterial growth is avoided. From the Dutch patent application 79.06962 a dosing device is known which tries to avoid dead spaces and edges by providing a second valve. This leads, however, to a dosing device with a complicated construction. Also this known valve may cause incorrect dosing, as the main valve may take dosed material from the space 11 during its return movement. Further this known valve is not provided with limiting ridge, so that it can be pushed through its closed position by the force excerted by the piston.